Afghanistan: Panjshir resistance leader calls for 'national uprising' against Taliban

Kabul [Afghanistan], September 6 : Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the resistance forces in Afghanistan's northeastern province of Panjshir, on Monday called for a "national uprising" against the Taliban.
In an audio message sent to media, National Resistance Front commander Ahmad Massoud said, "Wherever you are, inside or outside, I call on you to begin a national uprising for the dignity, freedom and prosperity of our country," Aljazeera reported.
Taliban has claimed that they have captured the Afghan province of Panjshir, the last resistance stronghold in the country. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's National Resistance Front (NRF) has denied the claim. The NRF said that the resistance forces are present at all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight.
After the fall of Kabul on August 15, Panjshir province remained the only defiant holdout where resistance forces led by Ahamd Masoud, the son of late former Afghan guerrilla commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, were fighting the Taliban.
The geography has witnessed heavy conflict between the warring sides in the past four days and both parties are claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties.
Panjshir has been the stronghold of the National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud and former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself caretaker president. On Sunday, Massoud said that he was ready to cease fighting and start negotiations if the Taliban abandoned the province.
Panjshir was the last Afghan province holding out against the armed group that swept to power last month. Taliban has been facing stiff resistance after pushing deep into the country's holdout in Panjshir Valley.
Panjshir resistance spokesperson Fahim Dashti was reported dead in a clash with the Taliban on Sunday.
He was also the nephew of Abdullah Abdullah, a senior official of the former government who is involved in negotiations with the Taliban on the future of Afghanistan.